Chapter 241 Collecting a Debt

Chapter 241: Chapter 241 Collecting a Debt

The next morning, Isabella drove straight to The Celestia Residences, determined to find Serena.

She stormed into the lobby wearing oversized sunglasses and a designer coat she could no longer afford.

At the front desk, she gave the doorman Serena’s name and tower number.

Before she could finish, he offered her a polite, practiced smile.

"Are you here about the penthouse listing, ma’am? The unit just went on the market."

Isabella blinked. "The listing?"

"Yes. The real estate agent put up the notice this morning. If you’re interested, I can give you their number."

"I’m not here to buy the place." Isabella’s voice rose. "I’m looking for Serena Winthrop."

The doorman’s smile faded slightly. "I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t confirm whether she’s home."

"She’s selling the penthouse?"

"I only know that the unit is listed."

That was enough.

Serena was liquidating everything. The apartment, the car, the jewelry, anything that could be turned into cash.

Isabella turned on her heel and marched out.

If Serena was not hiding in her apartment, she was probably at the Winthrop estate, sheltered behind Alpha Victor and the family name.

Twenty minutes later, Isabella stood outside the estate gates, pounding on the iron bars.

"Serena!" she shouted. "Get out here! You owe my brother every dollar he ever gave you!"

A guard approached. "Ma’am, step away from the gate."

"Tell Serena to come outside!"

The shouting drew people from the house. Within minutes, the entire estate was in an uproar.

Alpha Victor appeared at the front entrance, his face tight with humiliation.

"Remove her," he ordered.

Two guards moved toward the gate, but Olivia stepped out before they could reach Isabella. Serena’s aunt wore a silk robe over neatly pressed clothes, as if she had been interrupted halfway through breakfast.

She gave Isabella a cool, almost amused look.

"And what exactly will throwing her out accomplish?" Olivia asked. "She’ll come back tomorrow and make the same scene. At the end of the day, Serena is the one who owes the money. Let me deal with this."

Alpha Victor’s jaw tightened. He clearly hated the spectacle, but after a long pause, he motioned for the guards to stand down.

Olivia walked to the gate and stopped a few feet away from Isabella.

"Making a scene here will not get you paid," she said. "Serena has her own family, you know. She’s staying with her parents."

"Then give me their address."

Olivia’s smile sharpened.

"Gladly."

She recited the address and watched Isabella enter it into her phone.

"Your niece is hiding behind her parents," Isabella said.

"Then you should take your complaint to the people who are sheltering her."

Isabella turned and stormed back to her car.

Across town, she drove to an older, quieter neighborhood lined with oak trees and modest two-story homes.

Serena’s parents’ house wasn’t luxurious, but it was warm and well maintained. A brass wreath hung on the front door, and potted evergreens sat on either side of the porch.

Isabella climbed the steps and pounded on the door.

"Who is it?"

Serena opened it.

The moment she saw Isabella standing there, the color drained from her face.

Of all the people who could have found her, Isabella was the worst. She had the loudest voice, the sharpest temper, and no sense of shame when money was involved.

"How did you find me?" Serena demanded.

She stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind her. Her eyes flicked toward the living room window.

She could not let her parents hear this.

For the past few days, she had been hiding inside their home while the pressure closed in around her.

After the hospital visit, she had finally confessed the truth.

She owed a staggering $118 million.

Robert had slapped her across the face.It was the first time he had ever hit her.

Jennifer had not defended Serena. She had stood beside the kitchen table with tears sliding down her cheeks, unable to find a single word.

No one had slept that night.

By morning, her parents had emptied every account and gathered every document they could find. Bank cards, property deeds, investment statements, jewelry, and the small savings they had built for Serena’s future covered the kitchen table.

Even if they sold both houses, they would barely raise a million dollars.

It was not even a fraction of what Serena might owe.

Both of her parents were tenured professors. They had spent their entire lives building respectable careers. Asking colleagues for money to cover their daughter’s affair and unpaid debts would destroy their reputation as completely as it would destroy their finances.

Serena had heard every desperate phone call.

That was why she had spent the past week acting like the obedient daughter. She cooked when her mother asked, stayed quiet during family meals, and apologized whenever her father entered the room.

No one dared mention the pregnancy anymore.

The baby had become the one subject they avoided completely.

Now Isabella was standing on their porch, ready to expose everything.

Serena grabbed her wrist.

"Keep your voice down," she hissed. "Come around back."

Isabella yanked her arm free.

"What’s wrong? Afraid your mommy and daddy will find out that creditors are knocking?" Her voice rose. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you slept with a married man and blew through his money!"

The words echoed through the narrow entryway.

The houses in the neighborhood sat close together, and Serena’s parents knew nearly everyone on the block.

One loud argument was all it would take for the neighbors to hear about it, and by morning, the whole block would know.

Serena slapped a hand over Isabella’s mouth.

"Shut up," she whispered fiercely. "I’m warning you."

Isabella glared at her and nodded.

Serena slowly loosened her grip.

For one second, she thought Isabella might listen.

Then Isabella shouted, "Pay up, you little homewrecker!"

Her voice shook the walls.

Click.

The front door opened behind them.

Robert and Jennifer stood in the doorway, both of them pale. Robert’s shoulders were rigid, while Jennifer held one hand against her chest.

Serena’s stomach dropped.

"Dad, Mom, it’s not what you think."

Robert looked from his daughter to Isabella.

"Whatever this is, bring it inside," he said quietly.

Isabella gave Serena a smug smile and walked into the house as if she had been invited.

Serena followed, her hands clenched at her sides.

The Winthrop home was older than the Celestia penthouse, but it was spacious and comfortable. Family photographs lined the hallway. Books filled the shelves. A pot of coffee sat untouched on the kitchen counter, its bitter smell hanging in the air.

Jennifer closed the door and faced Isabella.

"Who are you?"

"Isabella Hale," she said. "Sebastian’s sister."

Jennifer’s face tightened at the name.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I’m here about the money Serena took from my brother." Isabella replied.